Hungary will now transition from mass vaccinations to standby vaccinations, leaving a few vaccination points open for those who want to get the jab, Orbán said in an interview to public broadcaster Kossuth Rádió.

He said it would not make sense to maintain the current vaccination system given the strain it puts on doctors and hospitals. Orbán said Hungary would have an even greater surplus of vaccines as the year went on, noting that the country will have more than 16.6 million doses of Western vaccines alone by the end of the year.

Hungary has vaccine security, he said, adding that the authorities could easily administer two more doses to everyone in the event of another wave of the virus or if it turned out that the jabs that have already been administered did not provide immunity for a year or nine months.

“The success of the vaccination drive has bought us time, saved us money and brought us freedom,” Orbán said. He urged the 2.5 million people who have not yet registered to get inoculated to do so as soon as possible.

PM Orbán: Vaccinations Now A Matter Of Individual Responsibility

Whereas up until now it had been the state’s responsibility to make sure that the country’s Covid-19 vaccination drive succeeded, now it would be up to the people, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in the interview.

“It’s up to the people now to decide whether or not they want to get vaccinated, but we can’t take responsibility for the consequences,” he said, adding that anyone who gets sick will be treated.

Concerning the vaccination of children, Orbán said he did not expect the scientific community to reach a consensus on the question before the end of the summer.

Only then will the government be able to decide whether it will start a vaccination drive for children or stick to the current system of letting parents decide whether or not they want their child to be inoculated, he said.

The prime minister added that it made sense to uphold the rule of allowing parents with immunity certificates to take their children with them anywhere until the end of the summer.

Commenting on the recognition of Hungarian immunity certificates abroad, he said Hungary would continue signing bilateral agreements with countries because it is yet uncertain whether the European Union certificate, planned to be launched on July 1, will work or not.

Orbán said he supported the introduction of a common EU certificate but it was important to provide a solution for free travel even before the EU certificate enters force.

The information on the digital version of the Hungarian certificate will be expanded by June 15 to include details such as the type of vaccination and the date of the second shot, in order to bring it in line with EU certificates, he said.

On the subject of a bill against paedophiles before parliament, Orbán said strict regulations were necessary but it must be handled with due consideration in order to avoid any unwanted consequences in the future.

“It must be made clear that we do not want our children to be subjected to any sexual influence … and we want to punish those that violate this rule and cross the line,” he added.


MTI Photo: Zoltán Fischer